San Lorenzo Student to Host Pasta for Parkinson's on Saturday, April 6

Submitted By Melissa Barry

San Lorenzo resident Sierra Verdin is sounding the dinner bell for a spaghetti feast in recognition of Parkinson's Awareness Month. She is hosting Pasta for Parkinson's on Saturday, April 6 to benefit the Parkinson's Disease Foundation (PDF) in honor of her grandfather who lives with the disease.

Ms. Verdin, 12, is a student at the KIPP Summit Academy in San Lorenzo. She has been passionate about helping others and organizing creative fundraisers since age seven, when she hosted a book sale for charity. After watching her grandfather cope with Parkinson's disease and witnessing how the disease limited his activity outside of his home, she was inspired to organize a benefit in his honor.

Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological disorder that affects nearly one million people in the US. Although promising research is being conducted, there is currently no cure.

Working with the PDF Champions program, the grassroots fundraising arm of the Parkinson's Disease Foundation, Verdin hopes to exceed her fundraising goal of $500 to help find a cure for Parkinson's. The family friendly spaghetti dinner will feature raffle prizes, donated by local businesses. Tickets to attend the dinner are $10 and free for children aged five and younger.

"I just want my Papa to know that people do support him and love him. He is very fun and exciting. I think there are many people just like him who feel pent up in their homes because living with Parkinson's makes them feel nervous or uneasy about doing everyday things like me and you," Ms. Verdin remarks on her motivation for organizing the fundraiser.

PDF Executive Director Robin Elliott said, "We are grateful for PDF Champions like Ms. Verdin who are dedicated to funding the most promising research and raising awareness about the impact of Parkinson's. Her efforts to help PDF improve the lives and futures of the nearly one million people across the country living with Parkinson's are inspiring."

For more information, visit: http://support.pdf.org/fundrasingbysierra or contact the Parkinson's Disease Foundation at (800) 457-6676, info@pdf.org or www.pdf.org.